Magnetic catch assembly



Dec. 3, 1968 H. G. TRESEMER 3,414,309

MAGNETIC CATCH ASSEMBLY Filed June 30, 1966 All ii Jar/m jw a'wa/La &.T/zesenzaz/ United States Patent 3,414,309 MAGNETIC CATCH ASSEMBLYHoward G. Tresemer, Rockford, Ill., assignor to National Lock Co.,Rockford, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 30, 1966, Ser. No.561,779 2 Claims. ('Cl. 292251.5)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A magnetic catch assembly with an integralplastic housing having an integral stud centrally positioned in thehousing and adapted to receive through an opening in the housing arectangular shaped magnet and a pair of pole pieces, each of which havea central opening loosely receiving the stud, the housing having a pairof integral tabs to retain the magnet and pole pieces in the housing,with the housing also having an integral rib aligned with the stud toprovide a fulcrum for pivotal movement of the pole pieces relative tothe housing to properly engage a strike surface.

The present invention relates to a novel door catch and moreparticularly to a magnetic catch assembly for a door or other closure.

Among the objects of the present invention is the provision of amagnetic catch assembly having a housing formed of a relatively stiffbut resilient or elastic plastic composition material having a recess toreceive a magnet and its associated pole pieces therein. The housingincludes a pair of inwardly extending retaining tabs integral therewithwhich retain the magnet and pole pieces within the recess; the housinghaving sutficient resilience so that the wall with the retaining tabsmay be flexed apart to allow the maget and pole pieces to pass by thetabs and enter the recess.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a magneticcatch assembly having a housing with integral retaining tabs havingretaining surfaces and converging camming surfaces thereon. When themagnet and pole pieces are inserted .into the recess in the housing,they engage the camming surfaces of the tabs to urge the tabs and wallsapart allowing the magnet and pole pieces to enter the recess; the tabssnapping back into position with the retaining surfaces over the membersto retain them in the recess.

A further object of the present invention is the pro,- vision of amagnetic catch assembly having a housing with a recess and an integralstud centrally mounted in the recess. The magnet and the pole pieces allhave a generally central opening therein to receive the stud so that themagnet and pole pieces are loosely mounted in the housing for individualfree adjustment or pivotal movement therein around the axis of the stud.

Further objects are to provide a construction of maximum simplicity,efficiency, economy and ease of assembly and operation, and such furtherobjects, advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear andare inherently possessed thereby.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a rear elevational view of the magetic catch assembly of thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the magnetic catch assembly takenfrom the right side of FIG. 1 and showing the assembly secured to apartition or wall.

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the magnetic catch assembly.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the magnetic catch assemblyshowing the components dissembled.

Referring more particularly to the disclosure in the Patented Dec. 3,1968 "ice drawing wherein is shown an illustrative embodiment of thepresent invention, FIG. 4 discloses a magnetic catch assembly 10 withits components disassembled and including a housing 11, a permanentmagnet 12, and a pair of metal pole pieces 13 and 14 at the oppositesides of the magnet. The magnet 12 has a generally central opening 15and is generally of less width than the pole pieces. The pole pieces 13and 14 each have an opening 16 which is central as to the length of thepole piece but slightly centrally offset of its width.

The housing 11 has a centrally offset portion 17 having a cavity orrecess 18 open at the rear and along one side or edge to loosely receivethe magnet 12 and pole pieces 13 and 14, and oppositely extendingmounting flanges 19 having elongated openings 21 for receiving suitablesecuring means, such as screws 22, to anchor the housing 11 in adjustedposition to an anchoring surface such as a partition or Wall 23.Extending inwardly into the cavity or recess 18 from the rear edge ofthe flange 19 is a pair of inwardly projecting retaining tabs 24 eachhaving a retaining surface 25 and an inwardly converging camming surface26. The central portion 17 of the housing 11 has an opening 27 into therecess 18 in one end wall of the housing adjacent the tabs 24.

The cavity 18 loosely receives the magnet 12 and pole pieces 13 and 14therein as seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, and a stud or shaft 28 integralwith the housing 11 extends rearwardly from the front wall 29 of thehousing to terminate at the plane of the rear surface of the housing andflanges. The stud 28 is loosely received in the opening 15 in the magnet12 and in the openings 16 in the pole pieces 13 and 14 to operativelyalign these members in the housing 17. A rib 31 is formed on the innersurface of housing wall 32 to provide a fulcrum about which the polepieces 13 and 14 pivot so that the edges 33 of the pole piecesprotruding beyond the outer or adjacent edge of the magnet canautomatically adjust to the strike surface. The pole pieces 13 and 14also are adapted to adjust individually with the recess 18 beingsufficiently larger than the periphery of the pole pieces 13 and 14 toallow for this free adjustment or pivotal movement.

To assemble the components of this catch assembly 10 in the housing 11,the latter is centrally flexed to spread and move the tabs 24 apart andthen the pole piece 13, magnet 12 and the pole piece 14 are dropped overthe stud 28 into the cavity or recess 18. The housing 11 is thenreleased and the magnet 12 and pole pieces 13 and 14 are retained in thecatch by the surfaces 25 of the retaining tabs 24. If the tabs 24 arenot spread sufficiently far apart by flexing the housing during suchassembly, the outer edges of the pole pieces will engage the beveledsurfaces 26 to cam the tabs 24 to allow the pole pieces and magnet toenter the cavity or recess and be retained therein by the tabs.

Having thus disclosed the invention, I claim:

1. A magnetic catch assembly consisting of an integral plastic housinghaving a closed front wall and side walls defining a central cavity andhaving a rear opening and a side wall opening into the cavity,oppositely extending mounting flanges on said housing, an integral studcentrally positioned in said cavity and extending inwardly from saidfront wall of the housing to the rear opening therein, a magnet and apair of pole pieces each of rectangular shape positioned in said cavitywith the pole pieces on opposite sides of the magnet with one edge onlyof said pole pieces extending outward through the side wall openingbeyond the housing to engage a strike surface, the magnet and the polepieces each having a generally central opening loosely receiving saidstud, and retaining means integral with said housing retaining themagnet and pole pieces within said cavity including 3 a pair ofoppositely disposed inwardly extending tabs integral with but ofsubstantially less length than the opposed side walls of the housing,said tabs being positioned adjacent the side opening of the housing toextend into the rear opening thereof, each ta-b having an inner 5 planarretaining surface perpendicular to the side wall and an outer beveledcamming surface.

2. A magnetic catch assembly as set forth in claim 1, in which anintegral rib is centrally positioned on the inner surface of the sidewall opposite the side wall opening and aligned with the stud to providea fulcrum for pivotal movement of the pole pieces relative to thehousing to properly engage a strike surface.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Ostrander 89-97 Saxton 292-2515Loeb 292251.5 Saxton 292-251.5 Wilson 29225 1.5 Brink 292-2515 MARVIN A.CHAMPION, Primary Examiner.

EDWARD J. MCCARTHY, Assistant Examiner.

